Tennis Trek: First Generation
by inkedhymnal
Summary: It is the year 3450, and humans have left Planet Earth and sought life in space. Now, nations are at war and only the brave warriors of special battle ships can save the Universe one of them being the Seigaku!
1. The New Crew Member!

Wow:D I am so proud. This is my first PoT fic, so please be nice to me!

Um, as the title says, it's sort of Star Trek like with dash of Gundam and Vandread, maybe. XD;; Do not ask me HOW it came about. It just DID. So, yeah, um, I hope this works. Don't know how, but I suppose it will. XD;;

So, be good people and do not kill me! Please! hides And cue scene!

Disclaimer: I do not own PoT, but I love it so much:3

**Mission 01: The New Crew Member!**

_It was quiet._

_The dead silence of space closed in from all sides, wrapping its deadly fingers around the metallic hull of the battleship forcing its way through the endless sea of black. Well, we say pure black, but this is hardly the case. Space is littered with hints of light, tiny pinpricks, that in reality are huge balls of fire, slowly burning away unto their death, or perhaps already dead. And sometimes space is graced with a great swirl of light – a galaxy far away, spinning endlessly, safe within the knowledge it holds life inside it._

_Space is strange, in that way. People call it dead and lifeless, but within its endless scope there are masses of stars that hold multitudes of planets – many with life forms on them. In that way, space is its own contradiction. Scientist say that nothing can survive in space – as there is no air, no light, and to much pressure for a normal being to withstand. But, at the same time, space holds in its cradle planets and galaxies, all with this ability to support life. So, does that mean space is lifeless, or does it mean space is full of life? _

_Such a perplexing question indeed…._

_Log Book of Captain Tezuka Kunimitsu,_

_Aboard the ship _Royal First of Seigaku

Second Space Migratory Age, Year 3450 

"Gah! Why does the Captain have to be so deep?" wailed Eiji Kikumaru as he threw the logbook back down on the bed.

"You shouldn't be looking through the Captain's things," Fuji Shusuke replied as he maneuvered files from the Captain's personal computer onto the main system.

"And he shouldn't leave them out!" countered Eiji, pouting. Fuji merely shook his head, watching the download of the files.

The two men stood inside the four walls of what was Tezuka Kunimistu's room, whom was also the captain of the ship they were on - the _Royal First of Seigaku_. The walls were decidedly bare, polished to chromatic silver without a scratch or speck of dust. A small bed was tucked into an alcove, a small, thin drape accessible to separate it from the rest of the room. Besides that, there was a reinforced steel glass desk, where Fuji now sat, the Captain's personal computer inlaid into it, though it lacked a direct uplink to the ship's main system. Drawers and closets were hidden in the walls, only noticeable by the small, black and red patches where a retina scan had to be taken to even access them. A door near the bed led to the bathroom, the largest on the ship, with a large soaking bath and small shower.

For a captain, Tezuka kept to the bare essentials.

"Are you almost done?" whined Eiji , bouncing on the bed impatiently.

Eiji was one of the senior members on the ship, at age fifteen. Despite his age, he acted decidedly younger – more like a five year old on a sugar high. He was constantly happy and smiling, never one to be down for long, and the most energetic of everyone on the ship. His fiery red hair fit his demeanor, upturned at the edges, with big, wide, brown eyes and a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"I told you this might take awhile. But you were so intent on seeing the Captain's room…," Fuji admonished him from his seat at the desk, where the download was almost complete.

As one of the ship's technical geniuses, Fuji had access to most rooms on the ship. He had chin length brown hair and was usually quiet. When he did speak, his words were best followed without question. Eiji thought that Fuji might not like light, as he kept his eyes closed most of the time too, but when he opened them, look out! No one had survived a duel against Fuji to date, so it was no wonder Tezuka held him in such high regard. Fuji was also an elder on the ship, a third year, and also fifteen.

Eiji pouted. "If you had told me how long, I might not have come!"

"You can always leave," Fuji pointed out, turning to type rapidly into the computer as the download finished, starting to erase his tracks.

Eiji snorted. "Fine! Be that way, Fuji!" he said as he got up, stalking out of the room, with no response from Fuji, not that Eiji expected one. "Well, now what do I do?" he asked himself quietly as he walked.

Sighing, the bubbly redhead began to wind through the _First_'s halls and levels, looking for some of his friends. He said hi to younger years as he passed them, but mostly kept quiet, disappointed there was no one around. For the first time in awhile, Captain Tezuka was not making them drill, and Eiji had hoped that at least Oishi would be around to hang with.

"Eiji-san!"

Eiji paused in his walking, turning to see one of the youngest of the crew running up to him, panting. He had some weird eyebrows, but Eiji forgot that for the moment. "Yes, uh….Horio, was it?"

"Uh, uh, yes, Eiji-san!" Horio beamed at the elder remembering his name. "Um, Eiji-san, everyone's being gathered in the meeting room. Oishi-san sent me to get you."

Eiji blinked. "Ah, thank you Horio." He turned and began to walk to the elevators. Why send that Horio kid to get him? Why didn't Oishi call him over the intercom, or through their private link? Perplexed, the redhead scurried out of the elevator towards the meeting room, located just beneath the bridge.

"You're late."

Eiji winced as he came in and those were the first cold words he heard. He made himself look ashamed and scuffed his boot against the floor. "Sorry, Captain."

"Hn."

Eiji looked up at the formidable character that was his Captain. Tezuka was tall, and his imposing aura made him only seem all the bigger. With a hair style that seemed like it had been spiked but the gel failed to hold it up, colored deep hazel, and penetrating eyes hidden behind a pair of crystalline glasses, Tezuka cut the picture of a man not be messed with – and no one did if they wished to remain on the ship.

Eiji shrunk away from the Captain and pounced on the Second-in-Command, Oishi, who was also his Mech partner. The taller boy managed the weight easily, grinning slightly.

"Nyaaa! Why didn't you just call me through our private line instead of sending that Horio kid?" Eiji queried, looking utterly innocent.

"I didn't want the whole ship being alerted to this meeting," Tezuka said in his icy, dictator tone.

"But what's so important it interrupted practice?" hissed another boy to the back.

Eiji shivered as the harshness of the words slid over him. He knew who said them, but that didn't mean he had to like them. It was Kaoru Kaidoh, one of the guys who had a powerhouse for a mech and was about as serious as the Captain, though no one could match the Captain's utter lack of emotion. Kaoru at least got angry. His hair was hidden beneath a bandanna, which made him look much like a pirate in Eiji's opinion, and he was sweating, which meant he had been practicing, like always.

Tezuka sent him a withering glare and the snake like Kaoru shrank beneath it just the tiniest bit. "I called you hear to discuss a new treaty we've signed."  
"Treaty?" every asked as one.

Tezuka nodded, sage like, and pressed a button. A screen flared to life, the lights dimming, and on the screen appeared the face of a young man that looked decidedly Japanese, but the info to the right stated that he was an American.

"I don't get it. Why are we looking at a runt?" deadpanned Momoshiro. He was a bit blunt at times, but was as fun loving as Eiji, so that made him good in Eiji's book. Though, something had to be done about his weird, spiked hair. Eiji was still working on that.

"Because this 'runt' will soon be a new member of our ship," intoned another.

This time it was Sadaharu Inui, the ship's main technician and strategist and trainer for the mech pilots. Eiji thought he needed a serious makeover. He wore glasses so thick you couldn't see his eyes and his short cropped hair was spiked in what Eiji thought was an imitation of a black cactus. Oh well. He was a smart, and made for a good mech pilot, though his style was a bit funky.

"What?" growled Kaoru.

"Why would we be taking on an American?" Takashi asked.

Again, in Eiji's opinion, this member of the group was in dire need of a haircut and make over. He had a military style haircut, which did little for his very passive attitude. Eiji liked him though, so he could hold off diabolic schemes to change that hair.

Tezuka tapped another button and the screen switched, words running across it rapidly. "This is a treaty signed between Japan and America. In order to form an alliance between the two, Japan though it would be a good idea for us to exchange fighters. A member of _Royal First of Yamabuki_ is going to the Americas, and this fighter, Ryoma Echizen, will be coming here in exchange."

"We don't need some punk on our ship," Kaoru hissed.

"Can he even fight? Sounds like America is jippin' us," Momo agreed, which was a rarity among those two.

Inui spoke up at this point. "From what data I have gathered, he is supposedly a good enough fighter. However, the fighter from _Yamabuki_ was only mid-level. America wouldn't trade a good fighter for a worse one. So, we're probably getting equal to that of the _Yamabuki_ fighter."

"That does make sense," Fuji said softly. "So, how is he arriving?"

Sadaharu coughed. "Well, that's the hard part. We have to travel to a neutral zone, where we meet up with the Yamabuki and the American flagship. There, the _Yamabuki_ fighter will go the American ship and Ryoma will come meet two of our own out in the field to escort him to the _Seigaku_." He tapped a screen and brought up Eiji and Momo's images. "I decided that Eiji and Momoshiro should be the escorts."

Eiji beamed. "Really! AWESOME!"

Momoshiro blinked. "Why me? Shouldn't Oishi go as Eiji's partner?"

Sadaharu shrugged. "You both need some time out in the field. This is simple enough. I trust you two can't botch it up."  
Momoshiro growled. "Hey! What does that mean?"

Eiji was in his own world, crowing happily, "I get to meet the Ryoma! I get to meet the Ryoma!"

"Enough!" bellowed Tezuka. Everyone froze, tense as their captain gave them the evil eye. "That's enough of that. Eiji and Momoshiro, prepare yourselves. We rendezvous in exactly eight hours. But, before that, twenty laps, all of you!"

"Nyaaa! Why?" Eiji pouted, but got no answer, and expected none, as he and the others headed to the ship's training track to do their laps.

☺

"Let's go Diagoro!" Eiji sang cheerfully as he hopped into his mech.

It was a huge machine, lithe and flexible, just like him. He sighed as he slid into the inky well that was Diagoro's nerve center, feeling the wires slide under his clothes to attach to his skin. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, the start up process beginning.

"I still don't understand how you can possibly go to battle in that thing," Momo's voice came over the transmitter.

Eiji giggled. "What? It's shaped like my Diagoro!" Indeed, for all its lithe deadliness, Eiji's mech had a head shaped not unlike his giant teddy bear, Diagoro, which currently resided in his room.

Momo sighed. "Whatever. Let's just go."

"Right!" Eiji beamed and turned his mech to face the port.

Alarms sounded as the doors opened to reveal empty space before them, and a loud beep sounded as the countdown began to launch. Bracing himself, Eiji gritted his teeth as the launchers thrust him out into space, and for the barest moment he was weightless.

"_Gravity Reconfigure."_

Eiji's sense of up and down was restored and he activated his thrusters, gliding through space easily to catch up to Momo's mech, the Smasher. It was heavier set than Eiji's, more based towards power, but no one could deny Momo was excellent at handling it.

"So, where do we go again?" Eiji asked.

Momo sighed. "Coordinates 187, 24, 3567."

Eiji set those in and blinked in consternation. "That's right over a nebula! Are they nuts?"

Momo shrugged. "Can't say for sure. Anyways, _Yamabuki_ is already there. We'd better hurry."  
"Lightspeed!" Eiji giggled and hurtled along, determined to get there before Momo, not that it mattered.

It took all of ten minutes to reach it, and Eiji blinked again in cute confusion when he saw the mech hovering across from the _Yamabuki_. It was tiny – the tiniest mech he had ever seen. It was maybe two-thirds his mech's size, and was oddly…well, effeminate was the only way to describe it. A quick scan revealed light titanium metals composed the main body, and even lighter metals made what looked to be like wings sprouting from its back, though if they were fairy or bird wings Eiji couldn't tell. It was slim and curvy, painted in reds, whites, and blues, the word 'U.S.A.' painted on the right thigh, as it had a humanoid shape.

"Is that the Ryoma?" Eiji asked.

"Looks to be like it," Momo said.

A gruff voice broke through. "Alright. Are we ready? _Yamabuki_ and Ryoma – exchange now please."

With all the grace of Tatiana, the little mech glided over to them, hovering between the Smasher and Diagoro. Silently, the _Yamabuki_ also went over, disappearing into the gaping jaws that were the American ship's hanger. They slammed shut without a sound and, slowly, the massive ship began to retreat.

"Well, that's that. Come on, let's head back," Momo said and turned around, gripping the tiny mech and speeding back to the _Seigaku_.

"I can fly myself," a light voice growled over the transmitters, and the tiny mech wrenched itself from Momo's grasp and sped ahead.

"Little brat!" Momo shrieked in indignation.

"Nyaa, come on Momo," Eiji said, trying to calm him down as he too picked up speed to keep pace with the American.

And so they flew in silence, flanking the American before separating to their hangers.

"I can't believe him!" Momo shrieked as he got out of his mech, his clothes materializing as he did.

"Nyaa, he might have been scared. I mean, he's coming aboard a ship where he doesn't know anyone and all," Eiji argued.

"That doesn't give him the right to be rude!" Momo snapped.

Eiji pouted. "Come on! Give him a chance!"

"Not as if I'd give you one," a voice said, and both turned.

From the tiny mech came out a tiny boy. He was roughly half Momo's height, with ink black hair and dark hazel eyes filled to the brim with self-confidence. A smirk was spread across pink lips that rounded out a tiny, well-shaped face.

"So, take me to your leader," he grinned.

And thus, did _Seigaku_ obtain Echizen Ryoma.


	2. Rookie in His Place

Mission 02: Rookie in His Place 

Silence ruled the computerized room as Fuji sat in his computer chair, watching amusedly as Momoshiro huffed out of Tezuka's room, having received a sever tongue lashing from the Captain. The Captain did not tolerate fights, and Momoshiro had done just that earlier.

It had been interesting. Fuji had recorded all of it of course, with Inui, Eiji, and Taka watching as he did. He turned away from his main computer and went to a side panel wall, pressing his palm to it. It hummed softly before sliding silently open, revealing another computer behind it.

Tapping swiftly, Fuji called up the video stream from earlier that morning (it was currently 3 a.m. right now, and this had all taken place around 1 a.m.). It had been a most interesting battle, and had set Fuji's mind to scheming, as it was wont to do. Coming from a pirate family, it was only natural. Oh, surely they did not pirate anymore – at least, he and his little brother did not. He wasn't so sure about his sister, but she was another story.

Settling back in his chair, Fuji got comfortable to watch the battle.

"Nyaaa, Momo, this isn't a good idea!" Eiji complained as he helped Momoshiro prep his mech, Smasher.

"_So what? That punk insulted me and now I'm going to put him in his place!" Momo snarled as he went through the start up system._

"_You'll have exactly one hour to finish this match," Inui said from below them on the catwalk._

"_What? An hour? Heh, I won't need that! Give me twenty minutes and that kid is finished!" Momo boasted._

"_Be sure to make good your boast," Fuji said from where he was helping Ryoma prep his mech, which they learned was called Kalpin. _

_Momo snorted, indignant. "Don't worry. I'll make it good."_

_It took another ten minutes for everything to be completed, but it was. Taka was at the end in the control room, ready to start up the launch sequence. Inui was with him as well, the health overseer. If one of them got drastically injured, he had the power to cut off the match immediately. _

_Fuji watched silently as Ryoma came back from the locker room, dressed in a uniform of form fitting blues, blacks, and whites. Without a word, only a smirk on conceited lips, he slipped into Kalpin, the mech sealing itself shut, eyes flaring, indicating it was ready to go. _

"_Alright, ready over here!" Eiji called when Momo's mech also flared. Together, he and Fuji ran the final system tests before departing to the control room to take seats with Taka and Inui before a digital screen to witness the battle._

"_Launch in 3, 2, 1!" Taka called, and both Kalpin and Smasher hurtled into the black reaches of space. "Status check," Taka said automatically. It was not uncommon for a mech pilot to have a black out from suddenly being hurtled into space. If that happened during a real fight, it was lethal, and no less so here._

_A screen popped up with each fighter's pictures, diagrams and charts flickering across it. Inui nodded, "They're both fine. Green light to initiate."_

"_Alright. You know the rules. First to receive a knock out, sustain the maximum damage, or get knocked out of the set parameters looses. Understood?" Taka demanded of the two. Silently, two heads nodded from where Inui was monitoring their health. "Then…begin!"_

_Like a streak of lightning, Ryoma swung his mech into what could be described as a death spiral, aimed right at the Smasher's face. Fuji could see the consternation painted on Momo's face at this as he desperately leaned back out of the way. The shot missed, but only barely. _

_Whistling in admiration, Eiji bounced excitedly on his chair. "Wow! This will be great!"  
"Indeed," Fuji murmured. _

_Not one to be down for long, Momo took charge now and thrust himself at Ryoma, intending to crush the smaller mech with a single blow, damaging it beyond fighting capability. As if it took only a thought to do it, Kalpin darted backwards, swinging up in a backwards flip, clipping the Smasher's chest and forcing it back as well. Both recovered quickly, and it was then the real fight began._

_All eyebrows rose as the two mechs began an intricate dance. They were never far from each other, twisting and turn up and over, down and under, around left and right, throwing shots and blocking them. They watched in silent admiration, as the damage meters slowly rose, creeping bit by bit up, though neither had a full advantage. _

"_I wonder why…Momo doesn't use it," Fuji commented softly in the stillness of the control room._

_Inui pondered it, musing silently as he kept an eye on their stats. "Momo was recently injured on that side, if you recall. I cleared him for training, but…"_

"_Nyaa! He's protecting it!" Eiji exclaimed, like a child who had just discovered the cookie jar actually held cookies._

_Inui nodded. "Most likely. But…," he turned, frowning as he watched the American's stats. "I don't think the little one is using his full strength either."  
"What?" blubbered Taka, staring._

_Inui pointed to several monitoring graphs. "He's still got a lot of energy to burn, his heart rate is far from being over taxed, and his blood pressure isn't anywhere near as high as it should be if he was really going all out."_

"_So, neither is really trying?" chirped Eiji._

"_Well, Momo has the excuse of injury, but Ryoma…," Inui trailed off, obviously going into his calculations._

"_It seems we received more than our fair share," Fuji said in a whispy voice, watching as the deadly dance continued on the screen, the smaller mech slipping around the bigger mech, yet the Smasher forcing moves out of Kalpin._

"_What is going on?" _

_Everyone froze and even the mechs parted with a clash, floating apart from each other as they honed in on the new voice coming over from the transmission. With a frigid glare already glued to his face, Tezuka appeared on screen._

"_Explain yourselves," he growled._

"_Captain!" Momoshiro sputtered, his face paling._

_Ryoma remained silent, neither looking ashamed or overly proud either. Tezuka glared at them all, his voice coming through like a storm of ice. "Get them back inside, _now_. Ryoma and Momo are to report directly to my office. Your four will tend to their mechs. Am I understood?"_

"_Sir!" they all said, saluting. _

_With that, he disappeared, and so began to process of retrieving their fighters._

"Yes, indeed we received more than our share," Fuji muttered, rewinding the tape and entering a series of commands.

He watched as the tape flew through its records, the computer analyzing each and every move. When it was finished, he sent a copy to Inui and Tezuka, keeping another for himself.

The American was a curiosity, and could well augment their power in the ever-looming battles their government could throw at them. With a chilling smile that only appeared once in a blue moon, Fuji opened the data file and began the slow process of calculating….

Arai walked through the halls in his crisp, newly over-starched uniform. He hated it, but took so much pride in being able to wear it that he wore it anyway. It didn't make much sense, but then again, neither did Arai himself. He was a junior member of the _Seigaku_, so held some power. He was one to the top on his class, and basked in the adulation it brought him from his fellow junior members, and the fawning it won him from the novices.

So, with all the pride he put in status and his own uniform, it was no wonder he was irked seeing a small, thirteen year old boy walking the halls in nothing less than American merchandise! Not only was it against regulations, it was showing support for an opposing country!

He stopped, glaring at the novice. "Oi! You can't be wearing those!" he spluttered, pointed furiously.

The novice glanced up at him with what he thought was a rather mocking look. "Mada mada danne. All this fuss over my clothes? I thought they were stylish," he said calmly, almost as if bored.

Fuming, Arai growled. "They are not! They are American! What's more, only seniors and starters are allowed to wear that kind of clothing!"

The novice blinked at him in that bored way again and shrugged his slim shoulders. "Whatever," he intoned.

Aria blanched at the sheer audacity of this child! That was the last straw! This kid needed to be taught a lesson! "Hmm, alright. How about you come to the junior's practice? I'll let you in a mech and we'll see how good you really are!"

The novice turned to him, lips turning upwards ever so slightly in a delicate smirk. "I'd be honored." And with that he turned on his heel and walked away as if it had been a congenial conversation.

Arai watched him go, fuming. Oh yes, he would put that boy in his place for sure!

"Hey, did you hear? Some novice is taking on Arai!"

That's what was going through the locker rooms as the juniors began to change into uniforms to begin their training. Arai smirked as he pulled on his suit and headed out to get into his mech. It was a brand new model of the Titan Hammer, with the best system upgrades available. Arai had earned it, being one of the top juniors, though he wasn't a starter like Kaidoh and Momoshiro.

"Arai, you really takin' on a novice?" asked one of his friends, a technician, who was helping him with the start up.

Arai nodded. "Yeah, that little punk needs a lesson. I think I'm just the guy to give it to him!"

"Tear him to pieces!" his friend crowed as the start up finished.

Arai gave the thumbs up as the hatch closed and his Titan came to life. Unlike the starter's models, which had a Nerve Sensory System (The NSS), the juniors' models were equipped with the latest Manual Override Nerve Bypass System or MONBS. Placing his hands over the orbs in the pilot's chair, Arai took a breath and headed out to the field, maneuvering his mech with ease.

He grinned wickedly as he saw the novice coming out. He was in a novice's mech, as it should be. All novices started on the old Shock Hammer models. They were outdated, but good for getting newbies acclimated to mech fights. He knew its system was one of the ancient Manual Movement Systems (MMS), where one controlled his mech with typed in commands and things like joysticks.

"So, are you ready?" Arai called through the transmitter. "First pilot to reach 100 damage points looses!"

"Mada Mada Dane," the novice said, bored.

Arai growled, tensing as he waited for the buzzer to sound. It came, cutting through his eardrums like a screeching banshee. Gasping, he thrust his mech forward, aiming for the chest area of the Shock Hammer mech. He grinned manically as he felt the impact, and twisted his mech again to come into a roundhouse kick, sending the novice sprawling.

"Whoa, 60 points damage! He's only got 40 left!" his technician blared over the transmitter.

Arai laughed. "Ha, this will be easy! I told you that novice had nothing on me!"

"Now I get it."

"Uh?" Arai blinked.

"Now I get it," the novice repeated again, his mech grinding to a standing position.

"Brat!" Arai growled and lunged…only to miss. "UH!"

The novice had spun his mech out of the way at a drastic angle, and Arai was to stunned to move in time to avoid the round house coming his way. It connected directly with his head unit and sent him crashing against the metal walls that surrounded the arena.

"Watch it Arai! That was 40 points! You have 60 left! I didn't think it did that much, but the sheer force from the weight of the mech and then you slamming into the wall really added up! Watch yourself!" his technician called, voice high with what sounded like panic almost.

"Yeah I know!" Arai growled, getting up.

"Watch out!"

"What?" Arai blurted, grunting as his mech spun away again, slamming into another wall. "What just happened?" Arai demanded as he struggled to right his mech.

"I – I don't know!" his technician spluttered. "He…I think when you got up it looked like he leaned back and then _threw_ himself forward. Again, the sheer weight and force of gravity coupled with the wall did 50 points of damage this time! You have ten left!"

"Shut up!" Arai demanded, thrusting himself up. "There's no way this brat will beat me. I won't let hi-" he was cut off as something slammed into him full force, crushing his mech to the ground, the system shutting down.

"That's it! Echizen Ryoma wins the match!"

Arai slammed his fists on the pilot's seat, gritting his teeth so hard he was afraid he would break a tooth. How? How could he loose to some punk that just got on the ship? No novice was supposed to be this good! The Elementary Academy's didn't teach novices to think like that yet. They were supposed to learn it during training as a freshman! So, how? How could he know?  
With that still on his mind, Arai numbly got out of his mech, forcing the hatch open. He glared at the scratched up metal of his mech, restraining beating it and damaging it more.

He turned his head as he heard the other cockpit slide open, the novice climbing out with ease and sliding down, walking towards the human size entrance.

"Hey!" Arai called, wishing he could hurl something at that kid's head.

The novice stopped and turned towards him, those lips parted in that ever-present smile.

"Mada Mada Dane."

And with that, he turned his back on Arai, and left.


	3. Night Before the Fight Viper

I am so sorry for the long, long delay in updates! I really should work on that. It's more because school is eating me ALIVE than anything else, but I will try my best, I really will: 3 Show me love and review and I might be faster at it, ne? Anyways, enjoy Chapters 3 & 4!!

* * *

**Mission 03: Night Before the Fight – The Viper**

Yawning and stretching his arms, Ryoma meandered his way through the halls, ignoring the adulation thrown upon him by the other freshman on the ship. It was late, and mess had been crowded and noisy. A good portion of the juniors hated him now, and the other portion was practically worshipping him. And that annoying oaf, Momo, had pounced him in the line, and taken most of the food. Needless to say, this had not endeared Momo in any greater degree to the tiny American. The older boys had merely laughed at this, though it escaped Ryoma as to why it was so funny.

With in inward sigh, he headed to his dorm, where he roomed with three other freshmen – Kachiro, Horio, and Katsuo. Kachiro and Katsou weren't bad, but much of the time Ryoma wanted to smack Horio in the face with something hard. He kept going on about his 'two years experience as a pilot', which really didn't amount to much, since he harbored no real talent. He could explain many things though, which didn't serve much use as a pilot if you couldn't actually do the thing explained. Ryoma had a secret desire to get him transferred to the mechanics core and be rid of him.

"Ryoma-kun!"

Ryoma looked up from under his lashes and saw it was Kachiro who had called for him. Thank the gods Horio wasn't there yet. "Hn?" he asked in reply, going to his bed to put on his nightclothes.

"Look! Look Ryoma-kun!" Katsuo said excitedly, going over to their monitor and pressing a button.

The screen lighted up and the _Seigaku's_ news channel popped on. At the desk sat two junior mechanics Ryoma had seen earlier that week against his fight with that Arai character.

"Good evening Seigaku! This is the Seigaku news, and just minutes away, we will be announcing the Block match-ups for the Inter-ship Tournament!" Ryoma could hear the cheering through the walls, and even through the monitor itself. "For those of you new to _Seigaku_, I'll explain. The Inter-ship Tournament is a tournament held every four months to determine who will be playing in the Inter-Academy and Battleship Matches. This first tournament is to determine sector! There are four blocks – A, B, C, and D – and the top two from each block become starters and are thereby entered into the sector tournament to represent _Seigaku_! Each match is one set, first to cause six bars worth of damage points wins! In the event of a double K.O., the two combatants will engage in a Single Shot round – one shot, whoever does the most damage wins! Good luck to all who make it!" There was a pause and then the speaker's face lighted up. "They're here! Ready everyone?!"

Again, Ryoma could practically hear the screams, only to have them die as the blocks came on. Everyone had shock printed on their faces. Ryoma only had a smirk.

* * *

_Tezuka stared down at the four sheets of paper before him. He lightly tapped the end of his pencil against his lip as he fingered the sheet that held the last block on it. It was one of the drawbacks to being a captain – he was the one who had to come up with these tournament sheets. _

"_Having trouble?" inquired a soothing voice._

_The icy captain looked up as his second-in-command entered, setting down a cup of tea for him. With a silent nod of thanks, Tezuka took the tea and sipped as Oishi seated himself in the chair situated in front of Tezuka's desk._

_Oishi took the three sheets Tezuka had set to the side and looked them over. "Where is our new transfer?" he asked._

"_I can't decide if I want to play him or not," Tezuka admitted. For some reason, he always answered a question Oishi asked – nobody every denied him an answer._

_Oishi smiled gently. "He did defeat Arai, and kept up with Momo easily." _

_Tezuka said nothing, biting the pencil's eraser as he stared at the sheet. True, the freshman was good. To keep up with Momo was no trivial feet, and Arai himself was in a good position to become a starter. But, he wasn't stupid enough not to notice the current of feelings surrounding the freshman. Ever since his fight with Arai, more than half the juniors were throwing hated glares at the boy, and the other half had admiration for him, though, the ones with admiration where mostly mechanics and lower standing fighters. The freshman adored him, though a select few were jealous. Momo did not get along with the boy, either, and Momo set the pace for liking people among the juniors, which didn't help._

"_You think he should play?" Tezuka asked Oishi. _

_Hi vice-captain nodded, hands folded casually in his lap. "Yes, I do. He's good and deserves the chance." _

_That was how it was with Oishi all the time, no matter what. Fairness was his main concern in all things, as well as the health of his teammates. With a final sigh, Tezuka set the pencil to the paper and scribbled out a name. Oishi's lips curved into a smile and Tezuka took the other sheets back from him, scanning them into the ship's main computer._

_Typing swiftly, he encoded the documents and sent them to the news station, and sat back in his chair. Now all he could do was wait and see.

* * *

_

"No way!" Momo shrieked, pointing at the monitor.

Kaidoh hissed at his roommate, throwing a towel at him. "Shut up," he snarled. Momo, for once, didn't back talk him, simply stared numbly at the screen. Kaidoh frowned, coming over. "What is it now?" he hissed menacingly.

Momo pointed to the screen, twisting his pillow in his free hand. "That brat is in the tournament!"

Kaidoh blinked and read through the blocks. He found his name, and wasn't surprised to see Inui in there too. But, what caught his eye was the name Momo's finger was stabbing at – Ryoma Echizen, Freshman.

"You've got to be kidding," Kaidoh hissed, keeping true to his pet name.

"No! No no no no no no!" Momo kept screaming, throwing the pillow at the screen. "That punk can't be in it! He can't!"

Kaidoh smacked him, shutting him up for a moment. "He's not even in your block. You're guaranteed a spot." He pointed and it was true. Momo's only real opponent was Taka, who he probably couldn't beat, but that didn't matter. He just had to win five of his six matches. "I'm the one going against him and Inui-sempai."

Momo glared at Kaidoh. "Do not underestimate that punk! He kept up with me in a faux match."

"Faux match?" Kaidoh asked, giving Momo a look.

Momo paled and slapped a hand over his mouth. "I didn't say anything!" he tried to cover.

Kaidoh snorted and smacked him again before returning to his own bed and taking off his ever-present bandanna. He never understood why he had been paired as Momoshiro's roommate, since all they ever did was fight. However, this didn't seem to overly concern the Captain, and his word was law. Not even Oishi's comments on the subject got him to change his mind.

And so, since their freshman year, the two had been paired. Perhaps it had helped. Their extreme competitive natures were fueled by each other, and if the other did better – heaven forbid! Perhaps that had been the Captain's plan, Kaidoh was never sure, but if it was, it was working wonderfully, since both were starters. In some way, Kaidoh felt grateful to Momo, but it was deeply, _deeply _overshadowed by his eternal competition with him.

It was nearly an hour before Momo calmed down and finally went to sleep, his snores thundering through the silence of the room like a stampede. Kaidoh twisted and jerked, trying to shut it out. Normally, he could handle the bloody noise just fine, but tonight…

With a hiss of frustration, Kaidoh finally gave up on sleep and rose, slipping on his jogging shorts and headed out. The hall was dimly lit with the night run lights, just enough to see without running into anything. Taking a breath, Kaidoh picked up his feet and began to jog.

This was what he did. Train. When he was bored, he trained. When he needed to think, he trained. When he was angry, he trained. When he was motivated, he trained. Train, train, train. Momo made fun of him for it, but Kaidoh didn't care. He felt sweat begin to bead on his skin as he ran and his breaths came faster. He felt the sting in his muscles and it felt good.

Without realizing it, his feet had led him to the door of the hanger area for the starters mechs. Jogging in place, gasping for breath, he typed in the password and the doors slid open with a nearly inaudible hiss. Lights flickered on, illuminating the darkness that shrouded the mechanical beasts they operated.

When they doors ground to a halt, he jogged in, his shoes making soft 'tap tap tap' noises as he ran down the catwalk. He kept jogging for nearly two hundred yards and finally came to a stop before his own mech, which was nestled in the back across from Momoshiro's.

It took a very courageous mechanic to tend to Kaidoh's mech. It's head, though humanoid, had eyes that were covered with a red film, so they glowed red, like a demon. It was moderately built – not as elastic as Eiji's mech, and not quite as powerhouse as Momo's, though Kaidoh did tend to lean towards that. It's hands ended in sharp, curved claws, as did its feet. From the back extended a tail as long as the mech was high. That could be used in a whip like manner, but it also hid an array of ballistics, mostly small scatter rockets, and at the base where it met the back of his mech were hidden his boosters. When the lights were fully turned on, one could see the snakeskin pattern painted on the metal.

It was for this reason that Kaidoh's mech was known as Viper.

He finally stopped jogging, as he looked up at his mech, his partner in battle. He could remember when he first earned the right to his mech, a starter's mech, last summer. He had worked his butt off his freshman year; training so hard he had actually been hospitalized for a time due to exhaustion. He remembered the older students always watching him (and Momoshiro) at practice, as they drove themselves into the ground. More than once they had completely destroyed mechs (which DID NOT make the government or Tezuka happy).

He had heard the techs working on the mech audibly gasp the day he first saw it (and heard one faint), for when he saw the machine that had been designed for him (by Inui no less), he had smiled. It was his first real smile in a while, and it was the only time he had ever worn it since.

Walking over to the control panels, he typed in a quick series of commands. With a sigh, like a sleeping giant, the cockpit (hidden in the center of his mech's chest), slid open, revealing an inky blackness. Throwing down the towel he wore around his neck and stripping off his shoes, socks, and shirt, Kaidoh stepped into that inky blackness. He gasped as coldness enveloped him, and he floated in what seemed like a dark abyss. Then, after a moment, lights flared, at first pinpricks in the distance, like stars, and then they rushed forward, becoming screens, monitors, and video displays.

With a gasp, he felt the Nerve System of his mech penetrate his skin. It felt like a doctor giving him a thousand injections, all at once, and it made his body go numb for the barest moment. It passed, but he kept his eyes closed, floating in the center of his mech. It was quiet, with only his heartbeat and the gently whirr of his mech for company.

Kaidoh liked it here. He came here before any major event, if he could. Sitting here, in the silence of his mech, he could think. He could feel the power he held with every muscle twitch, with every passing thought. He felt the presence of his mech in the back of his mind, like a reassuring, long forgotten song sung to a babe so they'll sleep. It rested there, like a coiled snake, rearing to life when he went to battle, and sleeping when he slept – a part of himself encoded into the very core of the mech.

And like a waking beast, it began to stir. He felt it 'open it's eyes' in the back of his mind as it uncoiled, ready to spring into action. It had been awhile since it was last awake in a REAL match, and he could feel it hungry for a good fight. In truth, he wanted one too, and being able to go against Inui was exactly what he needed. All he had to do was rip that foreign brat apart first.

It would take a bit, he was sure, but it would work. Run him into the ground and then hammer him home. It was how Kaidoh worked, and that had earned him his spot. It was a strategy only he was good at – no other person had successfully duplicated it on the team, and the only person who could was probably Inui. But no worries there, as it wasn't his style of fighting anyways.

Yes, he could feel it. His victory was in his grasp, and the beast only he could command was only to willing to tear into the brat, rending him limb from limb if necessary.

After good hour or more contemplating that appealing image, Kaidoh slid out of his mech. The red eyes had dimmed and the cockpit sealed itself shut. He picked up his towel, laying it over his shoulders and set out again. This time, when he got into bed, he was asleep in minutes, a confident smile on his face.


	4. Viper vs OChibi!

**Mission 04: First Engagement – Viper vs. O-Chibi**

Inoue had to walk quickly to keep up with Commander-General of Seigaku, Ryuzaki Sumire. Despite her advanced years, the head of the Seigaku Battle Fleets was light on her feet, with a loud voice and disposition to match it as she trained her young charges to bring glory to Seigaku's name. He was glad he was friends with the Commander-General, else he might not have access to the splendid sight he was due to see this day.

Today was the first day of the Intra-squad matches aboard the _Royal First of Seigaku_, and most of the time, Commander-General Ryuzaki did not allow outsiders to witness this tournament. However, with pleading and bribery with a few exclusive chocolate bars, the Commander-General had agreed to allow him and one other to come and witness the event, all of it, and not just the one day. His assistant, Shizune, was due to arrive later after she finished prepping the new camera, and Kodak XL 55BX – the newest and best on the market – for the viewing.

"So, do you want to head straight to the matches, or do you want a look at the Starters Suits?" Ryuzaki asked him, stopping at a fork in the hallway.

Inoue thought about it and recalled the schedule he had seen earlier. None of the starters would play each other for some time, though some did have matches going on. However, they wouldn't be that exciting all things considered.

"I'd like to see if the Suits have changed any since last time," he grinned at Ryuzaki, who smirked in return and turned left down the hallway towards a set of huge double door panels.

She pressed a button on the wall and a keyboard slid out. With practiced ease, Ryuzaki typed in a password, gave her thumbprint, and eye recognition scan. The computer analyzed all of this and the doors slid open with a hiss. Inoue was unsurprised by the high security measures. During tournament time, the security was pumped up to ensure that no one could mess with the starter's mechs in order to beat them. Granted, most of the members on the ship had more pride and common sense than to attempt such a thing, but one could never be to careful. The measures were also against spies, though that happened about as often as a comet hit Earth.

Mechanics were already running around inside the huge area created to house the seven starters suits, also known as STARS. There were three to the left and right on each side, and one sat at the very end of the long catwalk. Everyone knew whom the last one belonged to, as the spot was reserved for the Captain's STARS, and it was sitting there now getting prepped.

Inoue had never gotten over the sheer splendor of the STARS and the awesome power they both represented and radiated. He looked around and noted that Momoshiro, Kaidoh, and Eiji's STARS were gone, meaning they were having matches, which wasn't odd. That left Inui's, Oishi's, Tezuka's, and Fuji's still in the hanger, with their respective pilots probably watching the other matches from the viewing ports.

All of a sudden, a red light flared and a warning blared over the communications system. _All personnel please prepare for the docking of Starter Suit 107, Smasher. _In an instant, mechanics rushed to Momoshiro's docking spot, swarming it like ants. Tools and analyzing equipment was brought, as well as Momoshiro's personal physicians. Inoue watched as the pre-bay doors hissed open, revealing the heavy set STARS as it floated in on magnetic lines. With a precision that was most admirable in ones so young, the mechanics locked the STARS in place and immediately began running checks and retuning the machine even as the cockpit slid open and Momoshiro hopped out, his doctors immediately rushing to him to check for damage.

Ryuzaki wore a proud smile on her face as she watched the proceedings, and Momoshiro trotted over to her as soon as the doctors were done with him. Inoue noted the boy was still in uniform, and a simple one at that. It consisted of a tight muscle-t, no doubt made of material that synched with the nerve system in his mech, and basketball shorts, which the nervous system could easily bypass, as they were so loose. He was barefoot, as was expected, shone with a bit of sweat, though Inoue doubted the match was that difficult for the young starter.

"How did you do?" Ryuzaki asked him.

Momoshiro grinned. "Beat him 6 and 0, Baa-chan," he said.

Ryuzaki nodded her approval. "Good! Go rest up for your next match," she ordered and Momoshiro waved, slipping on some sandals waiting for him by the hanger door and running off towards the viewing ports.

_Attention all personnel. Prepare for the launch of Starter Suit 106, Viper. Repeat. Prepare for launch of Starter Suit 106, Viper. T minus fifteen minutes._

Inoue blinked and started as Kaidoh appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a sleek pro biker outfit he wore in his own mech, colored the same green as his bandana. Mechanics and doctors rushed around him, doctors getting data on his current physical status as the mechanics prepped the formidable Viper for it's next match, running preliminary diagnostics and last minute fix ups.

Ryuzaki took Inoue's arm with a smile. "Shall we head to the viewing ports? I think this match you will want to see."

"Oh? Who is Kaidoh fighting?" Inoue asked, interest piqued.

"Our newest arrival," Ryuzaki said with that smile of hers that said there was more to this than what she was actually saying.

"Newest arrival?" Inoue repeated, not getting it as they stepped into an elevator and began to descend to the view port area.

"You'll see," Ryuzaki said, still sporting that smile of hers.

Inoue just blew out a sigh, knowing that all he could do now was wait and see.

* * *

_Attention. Attention. The match between Kaidoh Kaoru and Echizen Ryoma will begin shortly. Both stand with perfect win records so far. Repeat. The match between Kaidoh Kaoru and Echizen Ryoma will begin momentarily._

"Ready to go, Echizen-san?" the physician asked as he did a final log into his ComputerBoard.

Ryoma made a noise somewhat like a grunt in return and sniffed, watching as the mechanics did the last second checks. Finally, the mechanics gave him the go ahead and he stepped up to his machine, the cockpit door sliding open without a sound. With no hesitation, Ryoma slipped inside, the cockpit sealing shut behind him.

For a few seconds he sat in a cold darkness, floating in an endless abyss. Then, light swarmed him – charts, images, sound connections – and a stinging pain rocketed through him as the nerve system connected. He felt a presence enter his mind, a soothing voice that spoke no words stroking him, wrapping him in reassuring warmth.

He smiled a bit, welcoming Kalpin's presence. He felt the shift as his machine was turned on the magnetic strips, and Kalpin showed him the locks sliding open with ever increasing speed. Finally, the last door opened and he was thrust into space. He floated in the endless expanse for a moment before the suit's gravity function turned on and he had a sense of left, right, up, and down. He flexed his fingers and watched Kalpin do the same. He tested the sound detectors, motion detectors, heat sensors, communication ports, and the image streamers all in a matter of minutes, and had no doubt Kaidoh was doing the same. To not run such checks (even after the mechanics had done so) was not only plain stupid, but it could practically guarantee your defeat should you not catch a glitch early on.

_Fighters ready? Remember, the first to cause six bars of damage with a two bar lead is the winner. If there should be a tie, there will be a Single Shot Round. Obey the rules. Cheating will result in instant disqualification and a suspension from competing. Understood? Ready? Set? Begin!_

The millisecond the word 'Begin' was said, Ryoma's sensors blared warnings as Kaidoh's Viper roared at him. Twisting, he missed getting smashed by the bigger suits' fist, but that threw him into a spiral, which was bad this early in the game. He arched his shoulders, and felt his mech's 'wings' spread, their thrusters activating to right him just as his sensors blared warnings again.

Cursing, he blasted the thrusters full force and flew up out of the way of another punch. He leaned forward and began a flip, his feet landing on the back of the Viper and pushing off. He saw out of the corner of his eye a bit of the Viper's first meter go down and smirked to himself. It vanished as his sensors blared, but to late. He felt a pain in his gut and was thrown as he was smashed by the Viper's tail, his first meter almost disappearing.

He twisted and recovered himself, and so began their game. If one had to put a name of it, it was similar to tag, the Viper now trying to dodge Ryoma, and when Ryoma hit it was his turn to try and dodge Kaidoh. About half way through, with Ryoma down two bars in a 4-2, he managed to find a place to regroup on a small asteroid that had drifted into the arena space. Kaidoh seemed to have the same idea and floated a ways off, his mech's tail lashing this way and that, as if itching to hit something.

Ryoma summoned up the video files from the match so far, knowing he had a limited time to analyze them. He saw his medical charts next to the screen, displaying his heart rate, breathes per minutes, and such things. His heart rate was spiking, as was his breathe, and he had sweated more than he usually did. He could feel himself beginning to tire, but Kaidoh had to be the same way. The time frame spanned almost two hours so far, which was extremely long, he knew.

Ryoma had not heard much about Kaidoh, though one of those dorks he roomed with had said Kaidoh was known for his endurance, and that he liked to toy with opponents before he actually finished them off, like a snake's poison slowly crippling its victim. So, that would explain the length of the fight and why Kaidoh's hits were not doing out the wall damage. He was chipping away at Ryoma, mentally and physically, so it would seem.

Smirking, Ryoma reviewed the tapes one more time before dismissing them, his sights locking back on the snake that was waiting for him, tail whipping about in impatience. Time to see if his antidote for this snake's poison was working.

* * *

Inoue couldn't believe his eyes. Was this really happening? That little kid was keeping pace with one of the Starter members? It simply couldn't be possible! Next to him, Ryuzaki was smirking, and the other crewmembers were watching in open-mouthed awe.

Since the beginning of the battle, it had been like watching some sort of dance. Despite the much smaller size of the Viper's opponent, it moved lithely and with deadly grace, keeping pace with the Viper in all it did. They traded blows equally, though the Viper had more sheer force and had nicked away four bars, where as the smaller one had nicked away only two, in close to a two hour match now. Heaven only knew how tired they both had to be, but they kept up the blistering pace until finally the smaller suite came to rest on a small rock form that had drifted in, and the Viper took up a position a little ways off, tail ticking back and forth as if counting down the time its victim had till it destroyed it utterly.

Inoue couldn't honestly believe that Seigaku was holding such talent in its walls, and this was only one of the _junior_ ships running for Japan, and that the oldest of these kids was fifteen, sixteen at most and stretching it! He was sure that some of them were far better than any of the _senior_ ships!

"I see you like it," Ryuzaki smirked at him.

"Ah? Oh, uh, of course!" Inoue sputtered. "To have such talent! It's…amazing."

"Well, it's about to get even more amazing," Ryuzaki said and pointed.

Inoue's head snapped around to watch was the little suit, which he heard people calling Kalpin, take off and practically leap at the Viper at break neck speed. The Viper braced itself, tail swinging around to meet the attack first. Inoue thought for sure that the attack, in his opinion careless and reckless, would only put the Viper further in the lead, if not crown him winner of this match.

Inoue blinked his eyes as Viper was suddenly hurled towards the ship, the health meter inside the port blinking as he lost nearly three quarters of his third bar. What in the -? A screen in the port flashed and replayed the scene as fast as it had happened. When Inoue looked again, he saw the Kalpin activate side boosters and swing around the tail, its leg connecting squarely with the Viper's head center.

But it wasn't over yet, that was for sure. The Viper activated the boosters hidden beneath the base of the tail, righting himself out of the spin, but not going any closer to the Kalpin. Inoue didn't blame it. More than likely it was still reeling from the sudden attack.

With a flare of light, the Viper took off, intent on attacking the Kalpin full out. Inoue watched as the claws on the Viper's hands and feet extended and the tail seemed to bristle, as if the scales were rising up off it. Inoue thought the Kalpin was done for sure this time. He, along with the rest of the crew, audibly gasped as the Viper went into a spin, throwing its tail at the Kalpin.

With a flair of angel like wings, the Kalpin hurtled up out of the way. Immediately, it proceeded to do a front tuck and came crashing down on both of the Viper's shoulders. Inoue glanced over, watching the third bar vanish and two thirds of the fourth fade as well. He had to admit, that was a smart move. Though there was no gravity in space itself, by coming down from above it took what small weight the Kalpin had and turned it into a mega-sized punch by adding in the rocket boosters, which simulated gravity in the situation.

Inoue and the rest watched in silent awe as the battle continued. Things had changed. The Viper was struggling to make hits, though it was obviously not easy for the Kalpin to dodge as it did, just barely missing getting nicked each time. What was more, the Viper was having extreme difficulty dodging the blows that came at it, which always happened after it tried to attack the Kalpin. It simply wasn't recovering fast enough to block the blows decently. While the match was still close and obviously taking a toll on both combatants, it was also clear the Kalpin now had the advantage and was making full use of it, if not abusing it entirely.

Inoue started as the sensors around the field flared red, almost blinding him really. He blinked as the two players floated away from each other, each sporting their own battle scars now.

_Winner: Echizen Ryoma. 6-4._

In the next instant, roaring cheers deafened him.

* * *

"What? No way! Kaidoh lost?" Arai and his merry band of juniors cried out as they watched from monitors in the prep room.

"But how? He had that kid on the run! How did he get beaten?" cried another junior.

A sort of amused chuckle ran through the prep room, and they all turned to see Inui and Momo. Momo was coming back from a match against Eiji, which he had lost in, but that didn't hurt him. He had not expected to win, nor did the juniors think he would, as Eiji was not only Momo's senior, he was also more experienced and was the direct opposite of Momo's style.

"Inui-sempai!" Arai breathed. "How did that happen?"

"It would seem our newest member figured out Kaidoh's strategy before Kaidoh figured out his," Inui said, pushing his opaque glasses further up his nose.

"Uh?" they all chorused, watching the two.

Momo laughed. "Kaidoh likes to toy with opponents. He has a pretty good amount of stamina, and by using his tail and giving himself a longer range, he can pick away at a victim, slowly working away at them till they're to tired to really fight back." Momo grinned at them. "People call him a Viper, but he's really an adder."

Inui coughed. "That's about the right idea. Kaidoh thought he had Ryoma on the run, but in reality, Ryoma was also wearing out Kaidoh. Kaidoh's not used to such close range combat that takes that much movement from his arms and legs. He's used to keeping a distance of about the length of his suite, and not having to use his arms and legs for much more than balance. However, since he was forced to use them unconsciously, he used up energy that much faster and tired himself more than Ryoma. Ryoma has done this before and is probably used to that kind of combat, so it didn't take as much energy from him."

"That little punk figured that out in time to make it work?" the juniors blustered.

"It seems that we got more than we bargained for," Inui muttered to himself, making another note in his cyber-notebook.

"Oooh, he had better watch out," Momo whistled as he went to change out of his mech suite.

Inui just pushed his glasses up on his nose again and tucked his notebook under his arm, heading out towards the viewing ports.


End file.
